A Digimon-Animal Kingdom
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: The Digidestined of Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02 and their Digimon partners have flown all the way from Japan to Orlando, Florida, to visit Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park, a beacon of hope for the natural world and a way to spend a fun day with the world's wildlife. Some of the kids and Digimon find Animal Kingdom to be a spiritual place unlike any other.
1. Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Digimon_ or any of its characters. Toei Animation does. And Disney's Animal Kingdom belongs to Disney, obviously.

* * *

The door to the suite was unlocked and opened. In walked one of the people who worked at the resort, followed by twelve kids and each of their personal companions from another world. The employee stared at the creatures called Digimon with a cross between interest and apprehension.

"Well, here's your room, kids," she said to the two boys who seemed to be in charge of their group. "Those are your beds over there, though I'm not sure if you'll all be able to fit in them, and your bathrooms are right over there."

"Don't worry miss," said the kid with big hair named Tai, "We can take care of ourselves. We brought along some extra beds and mattresses for some of us to use."

"That's good to hear," she said. "Where are you from, kids, not to mention these Digimon?"

"We're from Japan," answered the other boy, who wore goggles and was named Davis, "And our Digimon partners are from the Digital World. We're the Digidestined, and we came here looking for a day's fun with the animals. Our partners really want to see them."

"Oh," she said, "Well, if you're that famous, then I guess I can put your luggage in the closets out of your way." She started to lug two suitcases to the nearest closet.

"Hey!" said a girl named Mimi, "Our clothes are in there!"

"Yeah, are you trying to pull a fast one on us or something?" said a gangly girl with glasses named Yolei.

The attendant blinked. "Oh, of course," she said, and put the suitcases at the foot of one of the beds. The kids exchanged dumbfounded looks. They thought the service at Walt Disney World was supposed to be very professional. Evidently, this lady had one brain too few. The Digimon just looked confused.

"Well, that's about it," she said, "I hope you enjoy your stay at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge." She looked at them as if she was expecting something. Joe didn't feel comfortable with the way she was staring at them.

"I don't mean to be blunt," he said as politely as he could, "but it's a little rude to stare."

"I know," she said. She continued to look at them. Sora was the first to figure out what the woman was waiting for.

"I'll take care of that, miss," she said, handing the attendant a two-dollar tip, "Thank you."

"Thank _you,_" the lady replied.

"Uh, what just happened, Sora?" asked Biyomon, Sora's Digimon partner.

"I gave the nice lady a tip," she whispered, "It's customary in hotels, and in restaurants, too."

"Oh, I see," said Biyomon.

Tai's partner, Agumon, whispered, "I'm not so sure if she's _that_ nice."

"Ssshhh, Agumon!" hissed Tai, "Don't say that while she's still here!"

If the attendant had heard any of these exchanges, she didn't let on about it.

"Okay, I'll leave you kids alone now," she said, "Oh, by the way," she said, and she directed them to the hallways and paths that led to the lodge's restaurants and swimming pool. "Your balcony is out there, where you can get a great view of the animals from Africa. And finally, your 'Do not disturb' sign, in case you, um, you know." The lady finally walked out.

A few seconds after her departure, all the Digidestined and their Digimon relaxed and let loose.

"Oh, Izzy, I can't wait to see what kind of creatures are in this park!" said Tentomon to his human.

"That won't be any problem," said Izzy cheerfully, unpacking his signature laptop computer and settling in to research the park, which he had already done a dozen times before they arrived. "There's a show in one of the attractions called, 'It's Tough To Be A Bug,' and I have a feeling you'll love it, you being an insect Digimon and all. It's educational and irreverent simultaneously, and it's in 3-D."

"Excellent!" said Tentomon, "Now I can wait even less!"

Joe chuckled. "Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait anyway, guys, seeing as we just got here and have to have a quick supper before we go to bed. In fact, all of us have to wait."

"You're as reliable as ever, Joe," said Gomamon.

"Thanks, Gomamon," said Joe.

"I've always been ready to wait," said T.K., grinning, "You know the old saying: all good things to those who wait. That's what made me one of the most powerful foes of Piedmon during our first adventure in the Digital World."

"Now don't boast, T.K.," admonished Kari, ever the righteous member of their little group, "Don't forget, we _all_ did something good for the human and Digital Worlds, twice. That makes _all_ of us capable of waiting a few more hours to get something out of Disney's Animal Kingdom."

"Aw, come on," said Patamon, "T.K. wouldn't boast. And even if he did, I certainly wouldn't. I'm modest."

"We all know who's modest around here," Gatomon purred sarcastically. "And it's not T.K."

"Now who's boasting?" remarked T.K.

"I wasn't boasting!" snarled Gatomon, "I was just-"

"Stop it!" said Matt, T.K.'s older brother, "It's ridiculous for the four of you to quarrel like this over something like that. I thought you were more mature than that."

"Matt is right, guys," said Sora, always the mother figure in the group, "Let's stop arguing over who's better than who and look forward to our day in the Animal Kingdom tomorrow."

"Yeah," said Yolei, who was the only one of them besides Izzy who wasn't unpacking. She was busy running around the room, exercising her legs and pretending to hit invisible targets with her fists. "Those apes are my kind of animals, and I intend to see them no matter what!"

"Oh! I love you as a friend, Yolei, but I'll never understand how you can love those ugly beasts that look like the final insult to the beauty of womankind," said Mimi. "I, for one, can't wait to go shopping in the gift shops Animal Kingdom has!"

"They're not that ugly," said Yolei, "They're great! Humans _did_ evolve from them, you know."

"Please, don't remind me of that!" said Mimi, shuddering.

"Yeah, I'm, I'm sorry," said Yolei. "But I'd like to get a few souvenirs, too, you know."

"Do they have birds in this 'Animal Kingdom,' Yolei?" asked her partner, Hawkmon.

"From what I heard," said Cody, "They do. I think they even have a bird show there."

"Thanks, Cody, but I wasn't talking to you," said Hawkmon. "Carry on, Yolei."

"Uh, I think Cody already spelled out the answer to that question," said Yolei. "Actually, I'm glad he did, because until now, I didn't know the answer either."

"See how nice it is to have a friend in your hour of need, Yolei?" asked Ken.

Yolei blinked at Ken. "You just wait. Someday you'll really need _my_ help in your hour of need."

Ken smiled. "I look forward to it."

"So, then," said Sora, trying to change the subject back to the resort they were staying at, "What did you guys think of the lobby and the concierge where we came in?"

"I never thought I'd use this word," said Tai, "but it was fascinating. The place is so rustic. It looks and feels like it actually exists in Africa instead of Florida, America."

"I'll say," said Matt, "Those little water features and African masks were so, what's the word I'm looking for?"

"I think it's _authentic,_" said Izzy, not looking up from his computer.

"Yeah, that's it. Authentic," said Matt. "But the lady attendant wasn't bluffing when she said that we could see African wildlife out on the balcony. Come take a look, guys, before those animals walk away!"

Most of the kids and Digimon made a beeline for the balcony. Izzy and Tentomon hesitated, still gazing at their laptop.

"Izzy! Tentomon!" shouted Yolei. "Put down that chunk of metal for a minute and come see this, will ya?!"

"Coming," said Izzy, putting down the laptop carefully and joining them on the balcony with Tentomon.

On the ground, a short distance from the swimming pool and playground, several animals that were indigenous to Africa were wandering about, looking for something to do. They recognized two zebras, a giraffe, and a Thomson's gazelle down there.

"Amazing!" said Sora breathlessly, "I never dreamed I'd see animals like these in an environment like this! But then again, if it's possible for the Digital World and our adventures there to exist, surely this can, too."

"I think I can see some birds in the far distance," said Biyomon, "And not all of them look like North American birds."

"I hope there are some birds of prey," said Hawkmon hopefully.

"Hey, Davis," said Veemon, "Why does that giraffe have such a long neck?"

"I don't know a lot about giraffes," said Davis, "but I imagine it's so that they can reach the tree branches to eat the leaves that are their food."

"Hey, that's smart, Davis," said Tai, "I couldn't have said it better myself."

"I wonder why the Thomson's gazelle is called what it is," said Cody, "I mean, who was Thomson, and why was the animal named after him?"

The kids shrugged. "History never was any of our strong points, Cody," said Sora, "Especially not African history. So we don't know. Wait a minute. How did you know that's a Thomson's gazelle?"

"Because I recognize it as one," said Cody.

"And how did you do that?" inquired Gabumon, Matt's Digimon partner.

"Simple. I found these free African wildlife guides at the concierge that help visitors identify the less obvious animals in the park. I took one of them for myself, and I picked up a bunch more for all of you. As a matter of fact, I noticed there's even a wildlife guide in this very room on that table," said Cody.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" exclaimed Yolei, and each of them quickly swiped their own copy of the guide from him.

"Hey, this really is informative," said Izzy, "With something like this, I almost don't need my computer to help me identify the animals."

"Almost?" asked Ken.

"Uh, yeah, almost," said Izzy, "You know me. Izzy Izumi is nothing without his computer."

"That's for sure," remarked Matt.

"The furniture in here is sure African-themed, too," said Mimi, "Look at the way those chairs seem to be decorated with a pattern on tall, wavy grass on their back rests."

"And the art on the walls, too," said Kari, "It's beautiful. It makes me feel almost as if we took a wrong turn when flying to America."

"Indeed," agreed Gatomon, "For some reason, I've always had a curiosity about Africa myself, not to mention other continents, too, ever since I first came to the human world."

"Same here," said Patamon, "But it's the cool rides that really excite me. Sure, I can fly above them, obviously, but I don't have to fly. I can ride, just like the rest of you."

"Just make sure you hold on tight," said T.K., "And figure out a _way_ to hold on tight. Those rides can sometimes be pretty intense."

"Trust me, T.K.," said Patamon cheerfully, "I know what I'm doing."

"And if Patamon can hold on in a ride with his stubby arms, so can I," said Armadillomon, Cody's partner.

"I'd like to see that," said Palmon, Mimi's partner.

"Me too," said Wormmon, Ken's partner.

They went back inside and finished unpacking more quietly, and then they went down to the Mara, a counter service restaurant that served both African and American food. After a light supper, they all took a dip in the swimming pool, where the Digimon drew some unwanted attention from some people who had never seen a Digimon before. They swam and relaxed until they felt fully tired from the long day of traveling, and then they returned to their suite and slept the night away, ready to face a fun day among the wild things in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

"I only hope that those animals don't make too much noise so that I can't get my beauty sleep," said a worried Mimi.

"Me too," said Yolei.

"I'm sure I'll sleep like a log, no matter how noisy the animals are," said Kari, "And the less said, the sooner we'll all drift off, if you know what I mean."

"Good night." (many times)


	2. Rainforest Café & Oasis

The next morning, the Digidestined woke up, one by one, and started to prepare for the day. T.K. and Davis were the earliest risers, while Yolei and Mimi were the last ones to awaken. Their Digimon mostly woke up after their human masters did. There was a scramble to use the two bathrooms in the suite, because everyone wanted to get done in time to enjoy as much of the park as possible. Being the last to rise, Mimi and Yolei were the last to wash up, and complained that all their hot water was gone, but Palmon tried to cheer them up with a joke: "You snooze, you lose." It didn't work very well.

"The Florida sun can be a killer, Mimi," said Sora, "I'd recommend that you put a little suntan lotion on your face, neck, and arms, or you could get sunburned easily." Sora had a nice, healthy tan, while Mimi was very fair-skinned.

"Do I have to, Sora?" Mimi complained. "My white skin is one of the things that makes me look pretty. I'd look silly with a partial tan in a few spots like my neck and my arms."

"Yeah," cut in Yolei, "Mimi is the greatest-looking girl I've ever seen, and a tan on some of her body would spoil that."

"I understand that," said Sora, "But what would you rather have, Mimi? A temporary dark spot on a few of your body parts, or a painful burn that could make you lose your enjoyment of the day, not to mention your beauty sleep? You know, people who have too much unprotected exposure to the sun can develop skin cancer later in life."

"Skin cancer?" said Mimi, looking nervous. Yolei recoiled.

"It doesn't always happen," Sora assured them, "But Izzy told me once about how unpleasant cancer can be, especially for young or very old people."

Mimi looked uncertainly at Sora's suntan lotion bottle. "Oh, all right," she submitted. "But if I lose a lot of my fans because of this, it's your fault, Sora."

"I'll take full responsibility," said Sora, smiling.

"Actually," said Joe thoughtfully, "I think we all should use some of that. Any of us could get fried by that Florida sun, even Sora."

"Our feelings exactly," said Tai and Matt. They all passed around the lotion and put some on their vital places. Then, after Tai and Davis made sure that they all were fully prepared for the day and had enough money to get what they wanted from the park, they went downstairs and waited at the bus stop. A Walt Disney World shuttle bus picked them up and took them the short distance to the entrance to the Animal Kingdom. They got off with some other people, and it drove away.

* * *

Hesitating at the bus stop, the twelve kids and their Digimon partners stood and looked at their surroundings. The official entrance was just a short distance from where they stood. Something else off to their left side attracted them, though, when they saw it.

"What's that supposed to be, T.K.?" Patamon asked his partner.

"I think that's Rainforest Café, Patamon," said T.K. "It's technically part of the park, but it's set up just outside of the main entrance. I'm not really sure why. I guess they wanted to make the entrance more interesting this way."

"We haven't had breakfast yet," said Cody, "Why don't we have it there? It looks like a reasonable enough place to get some good food."

"That's true," said Kari, "But how are we going to get enough money to pay for all of it? Especially since table service restaurants don't accept cash, except in tips?"

"No problem," said Ken, "My parents let my have my own credit card, since my family has enough money in reserve for me to have my own bank account. I can pay for our breakfast. Let's just not get anything really expensive, okay?"

"Agreed," they all said.

"I just hope they don't have anything really delicious that's really expensive," mused Agumon.

"Me too," said Gabumon.

"Don't worry, Agumon," said Tai, "We'll figure out something if that happens."

"Same here, Gabumon," said Matt.

"Thanks," said Agumon and Gabumon.

Inside the Rainforest Café, the gang felt as if they had already stepped inside an animal kingdom of sorts, even though the restaurant didn't sit within the park grounds. The atmosphere of the place was dark and humid, but not stifling, and animated animal animatronics, ranging from elephants to gorillas, greeted them as they walked through the hall of the café. Mimi recoiled at the sight of the fake gorillas, mistaking them for real ones at first. Yolei tried to get her to calm down. T.K. and Kari remarked that they would have loved to ride the back of a young elephant when they were little.

"Just because you're bigger now, doesn't mean it's too late to do that," said Cody. "I, for one, would love to do that myself."

Farther on, they came to an aquarium, presumably a saltwater aquarium, from the looks of the fish inside. None of them were experts on fish species (even Izzy's knowledge was pretty general), but they didn't care much, as long as the fish were colorful to look at.

"Mmm," said Hawkmon, "Those fish look mighty tasty. Say, do they allow bird Digimon to eat a few of the fish in this aquarium?"

"I find that hard to believe!" said Biyomon, shocked that Hawkmon would suggest such a thing. "You should be ashamed to think such a thing in this park, Hawkmon!"

"Aw, shucks," said Hawkmon, ignoring Biyomon's scolding. Biyomon just decided to let it go instead of letting it ruin everybody's day.

Finally, they made it to the café itself. Despite their large group, it was early enough that they were shown to two tables that were linked to each other. The kids sat in the chairs surrounding the tables. Their Digimon stood or sat next to the chairs like pets, not entirely appreciating the fact that they couldn't sit on the chairs.

They all ordered food that was pretty similar. Sora, Mimi, and Yolei ordered the Benedict Bamba. Tai, Davis, Matt, and T.K. had the Breakfast of Bandits. Kari, Cody, and Ken had Breakfast sliders. These dishes mostly consisted of eggs, bacon, and cheese, among other things. Izzy ate a Cranberry waffle, and Joe had some fruity Tonga Toast. As for drinks, most of them had either orange juice, milk, or grapefruit juice, but Mimi had hot tea, Izzy had cranberry juice to go with his Cranberry waffle, and T.K. and Kari had lemonade. The Digimon were offered an extra helping of the kids' meals to compensate for their being unable to sit on chairs.

They ate to their heart's content for about a half hour. Hawkmon was still eyeing the aquarium fish hungrily, but every once in a while, Yolei would give him a warning look, and he would get over it. Agumon, Veemon, Gabumon, and Patamon were particularly hungry, and wolfed down their food a little messily. Some of the other customers looked at them funny. One woman in her thirties looked like she was getting sick. The four messy eaters didn't seem to notice, but their human partners did, and apologized profusely for their manners.

"Mmm," said Sora as their meal was winding down, "I never thought American food could taste so good."

"The Rainforest Café sure is fascinating," said Izzy, who had been taking pictures of it with his digital camera, "It's like a harbinger of things to come."

"I hope so," said T.K.

"I only hope we don't come within touching distance of those ghastly gorillas," said Mimi, "The fake ones in here are scary enough!"

"You're not seriously afraid of our closest animal relatives, are you, Mimi?" asked Kari. "When I saw them, even though they weren't the real thing, I felt like I did on the balcony of the lodge we're staying at."

"And how's that, Kari?" asked her older brother Tai curiously.

"Like we had stepped into a time machine," said Kari, "A time machine that shows animals living with humans in a safe and harmonious place. I hope to see more of it while we're here."

"I kinda felt the same way, Kari," said Sora with a grin. "Rainforest Café does feel like a place where you can have living animals and not just dead meat, you know."

"Really?" said Kari, "Well, I guess I'm not alone, then."

"I liked it too," said Biyomon, "I guess I was right when I mentioned to Sora's mother that life's full of surprises."

"I'm not so sure that the animatronics made me feel a spiritual awakening," said Gatomon, "but if the park has real animals as well as these fakes, then it _does_ have the potential to make me feel like a special place."

"Well that's you guys," interjected Mimi, "not me. Spirituality is okay, but I live for glory, and that's what _I'm_ looking for here. And I still say that apes are ugly trolls!"

"To each her own, Mimi," said Sora, "Let's not get into an argument about it here."

"I agree," said Davis, "Come on, let's pay for this meal and get going so we can see the park!"

A few minutes later, Ken took care of the check and left a dollar tip for their waiter, and they were on their way into the park.

* * *

The next stop, after going through the entrance where they used their Disney tickets to get inside, was the first section of the park, the Oasis. It was one of the smallest sections of the park, not to mention the plainest, but it had some good animals and birds to look at there. Overall, the Oasis was a tropical garden, and the several pathways through it showed off interesting animals, like spoonbills and black-necked swans. Mimi, Yolei and Ken commented that those birds looked very beautiful.

"That black-necked swan is so clean and elegant," cooed Mimi.

"And that spoonbill looks so cute with its scoop for a beak," said Yolei.

Some of the others found mammals that were both exotic and handsome, in their own way. Tai, Joe, and Cody saw an anteater foraging in the dirt, looking for ants to eat.

"I always thought anteaters did people a service," said Joe, "I can't stand being crawled all over by those creepy, crawly things!"

"Oh, come on, Joe," said Gomamon, "Ants aren't all _that_ bad. Though I must say this anteater sure is funny-looking the way he scrounges for his prey. But then, you'd probably expect that coming from a water-based Digimon like me."

"Yeah, maybe that's true," said Joe sheepishly.

"Anteaters are cool," said Tai, "I think they're great animals."

"They're sure funny-looking, too," remarked Agumon, "I wonder if Earth evolution had a sense of humor when it developed this creature."

"Maybe it did, Agumon," said Armadillomon. "I think the Digital World's evolution had a sense of humor when it created _me._"

Tai, Joe, and Cody laughed. A moment later, so did the Digimon, especially Gomamon.

And Matt, T.K., and Davis checked out a babirusa, a tusked animal that was part of the pig family but also had a relation to deer. Patamon considered teasing it a little, but Matt and T.K. shook their heads, saying that they'd all get in trouble and be ejected from the park if he did that. Patamon was a little disappointed, but he behaved himself.

"I don't like the way that thing's looking at me," said Gabumon. The babirusa was staring at Gabumon as if he was an annoyance, or another babirusa, even no Gabumon was no pig Digimon.

"Relax, Gabumon," said Matt, "You just leave it alone, and it'll leave you alone. It probably can't tell that you're related to wolf Digimon."

"I hope not," said Gabumon.

"If Mimi thinks apes are ugly," said Davis, "she'd really freak out over an animal like this. Pigs, especially those with tusks, are the missing link in ugliness."

"I'm not afraid of it," boasted Veemon, "Its tusks are no match for my Digivolutions. It would have a hard time defending itself against me."

"Yeah, but Veemon, we're not here to attack the animals," said Davis, "We're here to watch them. So don't try to attack _any_ of them."

"Yes, Davis," said the ambitious Veemon.

Just then, Sora, Kari, Izzy, and their Digimon returned from a location that was off to the right of the entrance.

"We found a small gift shop called the Garden Gate Gifts," said Izzy, "We got enough disposable cameras and film for everyone to use here at Animal Kingdom, except for me, because I already own one, and for Sora and Kari, who say they have photographic memories. There were also other photo-related things there, like picture frames and photo albums, but we decided that it would be best for us to wait until we leave before considering getting any of those."

"Good idea," said Matt. Tai agreed.

"And finally," said Izzy, "this gift joint is also the pickup point for gifts bought in other parts of the park, in case any of us buys a gift or two or three early or in the middle of the day, but doesn't want to lug it around all day. I think you just have to sign a receipt with the cashier at the shop to arrange to do it."

"All right, good to know," said Tai, "Thanks, Izzy."

And with that, the three kids and their Digimon who were at Garden Gate Gifts passed out the disposable cameras, and they headed for the first bridge in the park, which led over Discovery River into Discovery Island, the "hub" of Disney's Animal Kingdom.


	3. The Tree of Life

It was a place unlike any other they had ever seen. The Digidestined and their Digimon had seen many interesting and fascinating places, inside and outside the Digital World.

"So, this is Disney's Animal Kingdom, then?" asked Cody.

"It looks like it," said Tai, "It's sure large and spacious, but I guess it should be, because it needs to be large enough for all these animals to roam around in."

"Of course it does," said Matt, "It needs plenty of acres in order to have room for all these animals to roam."

"It's supposed to be the greatest animal park ever created by humankind," said Sora.

The others looked at her. Some of them evidently were unaware of the greatness of the Animal Kingdom.

"How much do you know about the Animal Kingdom, Sora?" asked Biyomon.

Sora got ready to deliver a monologue. "Each of the parks of Disney World has a special theme that makes it stand out with more uniqueness than any other park or city in the world. Magic Kingdom has the best feeling of magical fantasy a kid could ever hope for, Epcot is a technological wonder of the future and a kaleidoscope of some of the world's popular nations in harmony with each other, and Disney's Hollywood Studios is a showcase of the best movies and other pop culture in the world. Disney's Animal Kingdom is the showcase of the world's animals and their habitats."

"Walt Disney himself always wanted a place in the world where he could preserve the innocence of children by giving them somewhere to have fun and enjoy the magic of the fantasy worlds. And even though he died while his second Disney World park, Epcot, was being made, his successors, including Eisner, wanted to improve on his work. And that's what this place is now. The Animal Kingdom is a place of wonder for anyone who loves animals, where the deer and the antelope play, the snake and the croc feed, and the ape and the giraffe wander. Every mammal, bird, and reptile here has the best accommodations to suit it, and the park's efforts at conservation protect them all from extinction."

"So they decided to make the Tree of Life as the symbol of the park. It shows how the natural world can live in peace and harmony with itself and with humankind. Some people who work for Disney think, from a certain point of view, that the Tree of Life is a sign that Disney's Animal Kingdom and it's service to wildlife is divine."

The others were all amazed by what Sora had just said. "Where did you learn all of that, Sora?" asked Kari. "I've never heard you speak like that before."

"To be perfectly honest," said Sora, "I'm not sure where I learned to talk that way. But I didn't learn about the Animal Kingdom just from books and the internet. I visited Disney World once, a few years before I met any of you. It was a fun experience, and I loved looking at the animals and riding the rides, but later, I heard about how some older people who came to the Animal Kingdom felt like they got something personal out of their visit. I've wanted to come again for some time, to see if I can have the same feeling as them."

"That sounds good to me," said Kari, "I want to look for something special in this place, too."

"If Sora and Kari can look for it, so can I," said Biyomon.

"Same here," said Gatomon eagerly.

"Well then," said Izzy, "why don't we go and take a closer look at this Tree of Life? Isn't that it, off to the north?"

"Yes, that's it," said Sora, "Let's go."

The Tree of Life, which was at the northern edge of Discovery Island, was not a real tree, obviously. But it was very realistic, and if the fantastical things in the Magic Kingdom could be seen as real by children and the young-at-heart, the Tree of Life was real enough to be believable as an emblem of the harmonious relationship natural animals had with each other. The kids and their Digimon took note that there were over three hundred individual animals engraved on the trunk of the tree. Animals like a deer, a buffalo, a tiger, a variety of birds and reptiles, and countless more besides, adorned the tree trunk as well as the branches.

"Amazing!" breathed Mimi. "Who knew Disney could make something like this?"

"Indeed," said Izzy, "It's interesting to see so many birds and beasts represented so divinely."

All of the kids who carried cameras started taking pictures of the tree. Izzy took as many as twenty pictures of it.

"I guess I'd better be careful not to accidentally use my Pepper Breath on that tree," said Agumon, "It's a beautiful thing, and it'd be a shame to see it destroyed."

"I think that at this point," said Tai, "it's all right if we split up a little bit. I don't think all of us want to see the exact same things all at the same time."

"I agree, Tai," said Matt, "I'd like to see Expedition Everest, but I don't think all of you want to do it right now, as well."

"Tentomon and I are going to watch that bug show inside the Tree of Life," said Izzy, "He really wants to see how the insects of this world operate differently than he does in the Digital World."

"I don't think we all need to know who's going where," said Sora, "Let's just decide who's going with who, and enjoy the park individually?"

The others all agreed with this.

"Then let's get started getting the most out of the Animal Kingdom!" said Davis.


	4. TriceraTop Spin

So each of the kids and their Digimon went their separate ways. Cody was curious to see what there was in the section of the park called Dinoland U.S.A., and T.K. and Kari were also interested in it, plus they wanted to keep an eye out for Cody.

Dinoland U.S.A. was an area that mostly celebrated the world's most popular extinct animals, the dinosaurs, evidently. It had attractions such as The Boneyard, Fossil Fun Games, Finding Nemo – The Musical, a roller coaster called Primeval Whirl, TriceraTop Spin, a ride for the young-at-heart, and the spooky DINOSAUR ride. It also had a restaurant called the Restaurantosaurus, and three snack places named Dino-Bite Snacks, Trilo-Bites, and Dino Diner, and two gift shops named Chester & Hester's Dinosaur Treasures and The Dino Institute Shop.

"Well, now," said T.K., "What shall we do first? A lot of things look good here."

"I like the look of those crocodiles, Cody," said Armadillomon, pointing at a pool where a few American crocodiles were basking in the sun.

"I'm just glad we don't have to worry about fighting them," replied Cody, "Digimon are pretty durable in a fight, but I don't like to hurt ordinary animals, not even in self-defense."

"Cody, don't worry about fighting right now," said Kari, "We're here to enjoy ourselves, not to defend ourselves. Look, I have an idea. Just over there, in the middle of Dinoland, there's the TriceraTop Spin ride. It's supposed to be an Animal Kingdom version of the Magic Kingdom's Dumbo and Aladdin's Flying Carpet rides, where the riders fly and spin around a top in a cute-looking, green, rotund Triceratops."

"Hey, let's try that ride!" said T.K. excitedly, "I'll bet it has the same charm as Dumbo, even if it isn't about a Disney character!"

"I'm game," said Cody agreeably.

The Digimon all chimed in with their own eagerness.

"Well, let's get in line, then," said Kari, "Ken and Tai also provided us with Fastpasses to go on the rides more quickly than in the stand-by lines, but it still couldn't hurt to beat the worst of the crowds."

They hurried over to the ride, where the Fastpass line was relatively short. It took the better part of fifteen minutes to get on, but soon they were in one of the cute little green dinosaurs, with Cody in the front and T.K. and Kari in the back.

When everything was ready, the ride was turned on, and some charming music started to play. The Triceratops rose from the floor and began to fly around the center of the colorful top. Other smaller dinosaurs popped out of hatches in the top and made surprise appearances next to each of the cars.

Cody and T.K. enjoyed maneuvering their Triceratops car. Cody made it sway forwards and backwards with the joystick in the front, while T.K. made it go higher and lower with the rear joystick. Evidently, they were having a lot of fun. The Digimon felt like they were on a joy ride of some kind.

Kari understood why some people thought TriceraTop Spin lacked the charm of Dumbo, but somehow, she personally thought this ride was even better. It was enjoyable to get a good view of Dinoland U.S.A., but it also was easier to enjoy, with ceiling fans under the waiting area, four seats instead of two, and a line that was usually shorter. But perhaps what she liked most about this attraction, as little dinos and flying cartoon comets on the hub popped out of the top's rim, and manic banjo and fiddle music played, was how it made her feel like she was still a little girl. Disney didn't fail to disappoint here, because she felt like she was a child riding a kiddie's ride in one of her favorite dinosaurs, circling in the air without fear of the unknown. It made her smile as she sat back and enjoyed the breeze on her face.

It was too bad that it didn't last long. The ride lasted only one minute and thirty seconds, and it was soon over. But Kari asked T.K. and Cody if they could wait for her, because she wanted to ride it again. Cody and T.K. were surprised, but they allowed her to do what she wanted.

Once back on the ride, Kari rode with a couple of kids belonging to another family, a single mother. The two little boys had a ball making the Triceratops move around at their command, while the mother smiled at her younger son in the front seat.

Kari wondered why the mother was single, and if she had lived a hard life because of it. Of course, she knew it was none of her business, so she didn't ask any questions, but she could see that whatever the reason for the mother being alone, her kids yelled wildly on the ride, showing that they were genuinely enjoying it. The mother cheered with them. Kari, wanting to feel like part of the fun, stretched her arms out and cheered, too.

_This must be what Sora was talking about, when she talked about wanting a spiritual experience,_ she thought. _I felt like I was in some kind of heaven, riding my favorite extinct animal in the sky with a view of a place that is the home of the dinosaur legacy. Dumbo is charming, too, but for me, myself, this was somehow better, I think._

She got off the ride at the end again and rejoined Cody and T.K. "You must've really enjoyed that ride, Kari," said T.K. with wide eyes.

"I'll say I did," said Kari, smiling, "How about you guys?"

"I'd say it was okay," said Cody.

"Me too," said Armadillomon.

"I think it was a little tame compared to a lot of other rides here, but it was fun," said T.K., "Maybe I'd do it again."

"Wow! That was great!" said Patamon. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat!"

"It _was_ fun," said Gatomon, "But I noticed other riders were looking at me funny, like I shouldn't have been there. But I _did_ like it."

"Great," Kari said, "But I agree with you, T.K. Maybe we should go on something more wild next. Let's think of TriceraTop Spin as a warm-up."

"I'd like to try that Primeval Whirl coaster," T.K. suggested, "It looks like it could leave me high for days."

"Well, I suppose we could go on it," said Cody, sounding a little uncertain.

"You okay, Cody?" asked Armadillomon.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Armadillomon," said Cody, "It's nothing."

T.K. and Kari thought there was something Cody wasn't telling them, but they decided to let it pass for the moment as they went to the Fastpass line for the Primeval Whirl. Little did they know that that was going to be a very small regret of theirs, especially for Cody.


End file.
